Chicago, IL — Last Thursday night didn’t end how one off-duty Chicago firefighter planned after he was shot multiple times by an unknown assailant.
Police say that the firefighter, 54, was chatting with his neighbors while mowing his yard on the Far South Side Thursday night. It was around 6:45 pm when the man stopped mowing to visit with several local friends. The small group were standing near an alley where their properties converged in the 9900 block of South Yale Avenue in the Fernwood neighborhood.
That’s when the assailant cut across the alley and began firing into the small gathering. He got off 13 rounds, several of which hit the firefighter in the legs and torso.
The firefighter pulled out his own gun and returned fire, but the assailant was moving and the firefighter’s shots missed.
When the paramedics arrived, they found the fireman with “multiple gunshot wounds to his lower extremities” according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. He was hit in the ankle, the buttocks, and the right leg.
Another Day In Chicago
Police were nearby when the call came in and were on the scene in minutes. Officers from the 22nd division searched the neighborhood on foot and spotted the suspect. The suspect ran but was later apprehended by police. They took a 25-year-old man into custody. Police also found the shooter’s coat and gun in a nearby trash can.
Police don’t believe that the firefighter was not the intended target. But that’s small comfort to his family, no doubt.
Paramedics transported the firefighter to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. His family had gathered there on Thursday, but were unable to see him due to Covid -19 restrictions. He is expected to survive his injuries. No word yet if he’ll be able to rejoin his station.
The firefighter’s FOID and permit to carry were both current, so he won’t face any charges for defending himself against the alleged shooter.
No word yet on what will happen to the thug who thought that shooting into a crowd of innocent people was a good idea.